Frederick Balsam, the ailing leader of the mysterious Lazarus Group has successfully transferred his soul into the body of his former personal trainer James Horton, after leaving him all his assets. Now young and virile as well as being completely evil, he has destroyed the body-jump technology and is systematically eliminating anyone who had knowledge of it.

An expert in Crow lore, Balsam unearths and uses a strange ritual to split the Crow persona off from Draven. Unaware, Draven is surprised to find himself feeling hungry, cold, tired – and human. Meanwhile, the Crow crawls out of Draven’s grave, full of fury and selfish purpose. His first act is to break into prison and kill Funboy, leaving a crow scrawled in Funboy’s blood on the wall. Then Balsam, by holding the spirit crow captive, bargains with the crow to kill Judge Morrison, Balsam’s last victim. Morrison approaches Albrecht, who puts him in protective custody, but the Crow breaks him out, beating Albrecht in the process.

In the Land of the Dead, six-year-old Casey comes back out of the light to tell Shelly that Draven needs her help. She must make an awful choice, if she wants to help him, he says, and whispers in her ear. Shelly, saddened but determined to help Draven, agrees and returns to Earth. She enjoys several joyful hours of reunion with Eric until they learn that the Crow has split from Draven, and will come to kill him in order to possess Shelly. Shelly reveals to Draven the price she must pay for her return – she will have to move on to the Light; she and Draven will never be reunited in this incarnation.

They flee, but the Crow abducts Shelly. Draven and the Crow battle, but Draven, now mortal, cannot win. When he is killed, Shelly’s mission is made clear: she takes hold of both Draven and the Crow simultaneously, causing the Crow to be subsumed into Draven, who is once again re-animated by the supernatural powers of the Crow. In that moment, Shelly passes from this world to fulfill her difficult bargain.

On the Bridge Between Worlds, Casey takes Shelly into the light. At the last second, she cannot bear being separated from Draven forever, and runs back, hurling herself off the bridge. She falls, disappearing into a cosmic ripple. Where did she go?